Femke Gerritse claimed her first professional road victory at the 2025 edition of Omloop van het Hageland, winning a reduced sprint ahead of Lara Gillespie and Susanne Andersen. The race saw multiple teams attempt to force decisive moves, with aggressive racing from Anna van der Breggen, Puck Pieterse, and Maike van der Duin shaping the finale.
A day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the peloton returned to racing on the rolling terrain around Tielt-Winge. The 135km race featured a 41km lead-in before four laps of a finishing circuit, which included the Roeselberg, Glabbeeksesteenweg, and Kerkstraat climbs.
The opening kilometres were steady, though a large group briefly escaped before being brought back. Visma | Lease a Bike was active early on, with Eva van Agt and Nienke Veenhoven making it into a move that gained some ground. However, with several teams keeping a close watch on proceedings, the gap never grew significantly, and they were reeled in well before the race reached its decisive phase.
Splits on the cobbles
The first major move came with 80km to go when Van der Breggen launched an attack. She was joined by Pieterse, Julie De Wilde, and Charlotte Kool, but the quartet was unable to make it stick. This initial selection signalled the start of a more aggressive phase, as further accelerations stretched the peloton.
With 50km remaining, a dangerous group of around 20 riders formed after a split on a cobbled sector. Among them were Van der Duin, Chiara Consonni, and Anastasia Kolesava, along with several strong teams looking to take control. Picnic PostNL had Kool in the move but lacked further representation, which left them chasing to close the gap rather than fully committing to the attack.
The decisive selection came 16km from the finish on the Roeselberg climb, where seven riders went clear: Gerritse, Van der Breggen, Pieterse, Marthe Truyen, Van der Duin, Gillespie, and Andersen. Kool found herself just missing the selection and had to settle for rolling in ahead of the bunch behind for 8th place.
Photo Credit: GettyThe final moves
In the closing kilometres, riders began testing each other, with Pieterse and Van der Breggen both attempting to force further splits. Van der Duin also made a move, but with multiple teams represented in the group, no one was allowed much freedom.
The race ultimately came down to a sprint among the seven, with Gillespie, known for her strong finishing speed, appearing to be in the best position. However, Gerritse launched at the right moment and held on to take her first elite-level win after an U23 win at the Watersley Challenge in 2021. Van der Duin had to settle for sixth, while Kool crossed the line in eighth after winning the bunch sprint.
“For a moment, I thought I had come second,” Gerritse said. “Then I heard the sports directors shouting in my earpiece, and I knew I had it. This win means a lot to me.”
“I wanted to take a step forward this season and aim for podiums. To win already in my second race of the year is incredible,” she added. “At training camp, I felt I had improved, and this confirms it.”
Kool, who was active throughout but ultimately missed the final move, remained optimistic. “I’m just really happy as I felt so good and like myself again,” she said. “For sure this race will also help me towards the other classics.”
Veenhoven, after being dropped from the early break, reflected on Visma | Lease a Bike’s performance. “I tried to go for a place of honour in the sprint, but I was completely empty,” she admitted. “It’s a shame we couldn’t compete for the victory, but we made ourselves visible today.”
Photo Credit: Getty2025 Omloop van het Hageland result
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Main photo credit: Getty
